I’ll be moderating this month’s discussion for Flips Flipping Pages.
Discussion thread for the event here.
If you’re not a Flipper (yet) and would like to join us this month, just comment below! :)
See you!
Category: News
Reading in the 21st century
Reading never goes out of style, even in the age of technology.
In the August 1894 issue of Scribner’s magazine, an article by Octave Uzanne, predicted “The End of Books,” proposing that in the 20th century, the printed page will be replaced by “storyographs,” patented cylinders containing recordings of books, and writers replaced by “Narrators” that read stories aloud for the recordings. Uzanne imagines today’s libraries transformed into “phonographotecks” or “phonostereoteks,” repositories for the “storyographs.” He also imagined portable players that he called “pocket phono-opera-graphs.”
While Uzanne’s predictions almost accurately cover audiobooks, ebooks, mp3 players, and personal ebook readers, he was wrong on one count: the introduction of these technologies did not herald the end of books, but rather gives the 21st century person new ways to enjoy the printed page, enhancing the reading experience for the page-turner.
The Manila International Book Fair lists the top reading technologies, proving just how relevant reading still is in the 21st century.
As the Manila International Book Fair, the paramount event of the Philippine book industry, marks its 30th anniversary this year on Sept 16-20 at the SMX Convention Center, it once again welcomes book lovers to celebrate it celebrates the written word in all its forms.
Still Alive…
Hi everyone!
A quick note of explanation —
Pardon the week that went by without a new post, I have been hospitalized with dengue (hemorrhagic) fever, and it took me the whole week to recover.
Thankfully my platelet count stabilized before I needed a transfusion, so I’m okay now, I’ve been home since Friday, although I still need to have some tests done today and another checkup with my doctor tomorrow.
Thank you to all those who stood by and prayed for my swift recovery, especially to those who visited me in the hospital, and to those who were getting ready to donate blood for my transfusion. I would never have recovered so fast without your support.
Thank you to those who dropped by my site while I was away, and wondered where I’d gotten off to. Will resume regular blogging this week.
:)
Back to the Manila International Book Fair
Twenty more days ’til the Manila International Book Fair (MIBF): five straight days of books, books, and more books, enough to drive a book lover to madness!
I always look forward to this annual event, ever since I was in third grade, when I first went to the MIBF on a field trip with the school Reading Club.
Even back then I was already a voracious reader, and the MIBF was such a magical place — I had never seen so many books all in one place!
My friends and I happily spent the day poring over all sorts of books, going from booth to booth, strategizing on how we could best spend a couple of weeks’ worth of pocket money. And after we had settled on our books, we made the rounds again, this time to collect freebies from the various booths, chase down the mascots, listen to a story or two, watch some cartoons, and of course, take note of books we planned on begging our parents for as soon as we got home. Continue reading “Back to the Manila International Book Fair”
A Bookworm in Cebu
I didn’t have any posts up last weekend because I had to fly to Cebu on Friday night on a business trip, to cover the Pasigarbo sa Sugbo Festival hosted by the provincial government at the Cebu International Convention Center.
I’ve been to Cebu at least once a year in the past four years (second time this year), but always for work, with a bit of leisure crammed in. Always hopeful for some reading time, I packed three books, although to no avail. For some reason, when I have several books with me I never find the time to read, and when I don’t have any books with me I end up with absolutely nothing to do!
I didn’t have much time to go around because our activities were packed (I wish I can go to Cebu for fun next time!), but I managed to squeeze in some bookish time– finished one book, went to a couple of Book Sale branches and got a bunch of books, scoped out some bookish items at the trade fair, and met up with a Flipper friend!